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Coburan Civil War
The Coburan Civil War was a conflict that took place in the Republic of Cobura between the governmental Coburan Armed Forces and the paramilitary Revolutionary Armed Forces of Cobura. The conflict began in September 2456 and ended in March 2458 following the signing of a peace treaty. The Revolutionary Armed Forces The Revolutionary Armed Forces has traditionally been the armed wing of the Revolutionary Party of Cobura, and had originally been known as the 'Orange Brigade' at a time when the party was known as the 'Socialist Workers Party'. This paramilitary force fought as volunteers against the fascists in the Keymon crisis, and would then pass on their experiences to the next generation of soldiers, who would fight in this conflict. The experience gained in the Keymon conflict proved to be a major factor in the organisation of the future RAFC forces. The RAFC largely used guerilla tactics and asymmetrical warfare, but also had a large contingent of conventional forces. The military theories of the RAFC were practised extensively in the Coburan countryside, and the RAFC were highly organised and motivated, despite the disparity in numbers and equipment. When the war began, the citizen soldiers of the RAFC were able to inflict heavy losses upon the Army. The Coburan Armed Forces The Coburan Armed Forces was well equipped with high-tech modern equipment, but was completely inexperienced in warfare, the nation having been involved in no conflicts in its history. The officers were mostly drawn from the middle and upper classes of Coburan society, and held conservative views, which attributed to their loathing of the RAFC and its communist views. Prelude to the war In September 2454 the Revolutionary Armed Forces expanded its size from 50,000 members to around 130,000. At the time the RAFC commander Erik von Witzland had also just been appointed as the Coburan Defence Minister, which drew heavy criticism. A lot of the opposition politicians in Cobura felt Witzland was using his position as defence minister to advance the goals of the RAFC. That same month Cobura was rocked by an outbreak of religious violence. Armed gangs stormed into churches across Rio Irkawa forcing the church goers to flee in terror. The men then vandalised the church properties by smashing windows, tearing up holy books and defacing artwork. In Nova Roma, a priest with links to the Christian Zionist Party was shot dead by a similar armed group. In Cobura's representative assembly, many of the politicians accused the RAFC of instigating the violence, an accusation strenuously denied by members of the RAFC and the Revolutionary Party. In the midst of all this, members of Islamic and Zionist terror groups were arrested following more atrocities including a car bomb outside a mosque in Rio Irkawa. A Zionist preacher claimed responsibility for the bombing. By April 2455 the representative assembly was discussing the possibility of sending in military troops to curb the violence. A bill proposing a state of emergency was voted down by a large majority, though a bill limiting foreign missionaries was passed. Then the government voted to send the army into Rio Irkawa, a move which was strongly opposed by Erik von Witzland. Following this, the RAFC was placed on high alert. The conflict The Army entered Rio Irkawa in August 2455 under the orders of Chancellor Philipp Krone of the Party for Individualism. In the same month a bill was proposed which outlawed the existence of paramilitary groups within Cobura. For the RAFC this was the last straw. The entry of the army into Rio Irkawa had already angered them, with many fearing the establishment of a military dictatorship, and widespread oppression. When the last line in the defence of the people - as they saw it - was removed, they were forced to react. On September 2456, as the anti-paramilitary bill was passed, the RAFC declared war upon the Coburan government. Immediately small skirmishes were reported throughout Rio Irkawa. The government TV station was captured by a battalion of the Revolutionary Guard Division, and the RAFC immediately began broadcasting propaganda in their favour. Elsewhere the infiltration units of the RAFC committed acts of sabotage in the Coburan Army lines, causing supply and communication problems. Within a week, fighting had spread throughout Cobura as the RAFC units attacked local government buildings, police stations and army barracks. This escalation of the conflict took the army by surprise, with their efforts being focused on Rio Irkawa. In Irkawa the RAFC enjoyed much success, taking almost complete control of the regions cities. In Dilganato there was only sporadic fighting, with the RAFC Regional commander employing hit an run tactics. At the army officer training school in Eros, the RAFC attacks were beaten back with heavy losses on both sides, though the government troops were outnumbered two to one. In Domale the fighting was fierce and bloody, as cities and buildings changed hands by the hour. By December the government troops began to withdraw from Rio Irkawa in the face of heavy losses and dwindling supplies. On the 29th, the entire city was under the control of the RAFC, the army having withdrawn to the high ground to the north of the city. As January arrived the government began to negotiate with the RAFC. Peace John Farrow III, of the Crazy Ruari Party acted as a mediator, and a temporary ceasefire was declared on February 2nd, 2457. At the same time the government mobilised around half a million troops, and gave them strict orders not to take any aggressive actions. Both sides honoured the ceasefire, and prisoner and wounded exchanges took place all over the front-line. The RAFC made it clear, that unless the legislation banning paramilitaries were rescinded, negotiations would be a waste of time. The uneasy ceasefire continued all the way into the following year because of disagreements and conflicts within the government. Many of the parties regarded the RAFC as 'terrorists' who should never be negotiated with. Nonetheless, in March 2458, negotiations between Erik von Witzland and Philip Krone led to an agreeable peace treaty which was passed despite the protests of the Democratic Labour Party, Liberal Reform Party and the Conservative Party. The treaty was as follows: 1. It is noted that it was the democracy act that caused this mess in the first place 2. The ban on all paramilitaries is repealed 3. Government troops must withdraw from Rio Irkawa 4. RAFC will not interfere with police work or attack police 5. Both Philip Krone and Erik von Witzland accept responsibility for the outbreak of war. See Also Cobura 'The Coburan Civil War' Category:Cobura Category:Wars, civil wars and conflicts